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BlackBerry Users Not Loyal to Brand

Loyal customers are the bread and butter of many corporations because, in part, they frequently buy multiple products and services.

Research in Motion, the embattled supplier of BlackBerry devices, may not be so lucky.

More than half (53 percent) of those who responded to a U.S. survey last month and identified themselves as BlackBerry users said they would like Apple’s iPad if they were to purchase a tablet computer, Forbes reported, citing an online Maritz Research survey of roughly 2,500 individuals. Just 8.5 percent of BlackBerry users expressed a preference for RIM’s tablet, the PlayBook, according to the report.

Canada-based RIM hasn’t sold as many PlayBook tablets as it had hoped and recently announced a $485 million predominantly non-cash charge related to the value of the enterprise-oriented devices. The company said last week that it “has a high level of BlackBerry PlayBook inventory” and “now believes that an increase in promotional activity is required to drive sell-through to end customers.” In the quarter ending Aug. 27, RIM shipped 200,000 tablets. By comparison, Apple sold 11.12 million iPads in its most recent quarter ending Sept. 24.